Display-rack.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

J. E. R008.

DISPLAY RACK. I APPLICATION FILED 00w. 2a, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

3c in retracted positions.

UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

JOHN E. ROOS, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

DISPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 772,375, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed October 26, 1903- Serial No. 178,539. (No model.)

it appertains to. make and use the same.

My invention relates to display-racks, and has for its object the provision of means adapted to anchor a biscuit-box to a supportingrack and to open the lid of the box when the same is drawn partly off of said shelf.

With this and other objects in view it consists, in combination with a rack containing shelves and with a box supported on one of said shelves, of flexible means removably secured to the lid of said box and to the rear edges of an overhead shelf or to said rack above and in rear of said box.

It also consists of certain other construc tions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the'drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of said rack, partly broken away, showing said invention in operative and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of said rack, showing said invention in operative and in retracted positions. 9

' It has usually been the practice when opening biscuit-boxes shelved upon display-racks to draw the box outward and tip it down, supporting the forward edge on one knee of the operator and the rearward lower edge upon the forward edge of the shelf, the operator 40, manually raising the lid, such awkward position being maintainedwhile removing goods from the box. If the customer desired to sample several boxes, each was either wholly removed from the shelf or thrust back into its normal position with lid closed before the succeeding box was opened, causing great inconvenience and loss of time.

The purpose of my invention is to eliminate these inconveniences in a cheap and effective In the drawings, 1 is a frame, preferably of skeleton construction, in which are arranged shelves 2 of any suitable character or number. Upon said shelves are supported boxes or tin cans 8 3, respectively provided with lids 3, hinged in any suitable manner to the rearward upper edges of said boxes. A suitable cord or chain 4 or other suitable flexible means is removably secured at one end, preferably by a screw 5 and button 6, to each of said lids and at the opposite end to the rearward edge of the shelf above the correv sponding box or to said frame in a corresponding position, preferably by a-hook 7, said chains being of sufiicient length ,to permit of said boxes, respectively, being drawn forward to the front edge of their corresponding supporting-shelves. The object of having said chains removably attached to said lids is to permit of their attachment to new boxes when empty boxes are removed from said shelves and full ones substituted therefor; but, if desired, said chains may be permanently attached to said lids. 1

The construction so far described is shown in my application for Letters Patent of the United States filed in the United States Pat- .ent Office on or about the 12th day of June,

1903, and serially numbered 161,131 and allowed on or about the 10th day of September, 1903, for display-racks, and I do not now therefore claim the same broadly. My present invention consists in incorporating in said construction flexible limiting means, preferably comprising cords or chains 8, respectively secured in any suitablemanner at one the cans from the shelves when'such cans are very large or heavy, and consequent breaking of the lids or chains 4 or other parts, is thus prevented. In operation when any of said boxes is drawn forward and tilted down 5 manner.

said chain 4 draws the lid of said box upward I00 against the forward edge of the upper shelf, which shelf prevents thelid from falling backward. The chain also operates as an anchorchain to prevent the upper portion of the box from falling too far forward. The lower end of the open box is supported by the forward edge of the lower shelf and by the limited chain 8, and the box may be left in such position while removing goods therefrom or While opening other boxes. WVhen said box is thrust back into normal position, the lid falls of its own weight or is pushed down by he upper shelf, the slack of the chains dropping in loops out of the way behind the box. It is evident that said rack may be constructed in various forms, and said frame may consist of the wall of a building or anystructure adapted to support shelves. I am aware that some effort has been made to accomplish a similar result by means of levers; but it should be noted that said lever means requires a considerable amount of head-room between the top of the box and the overhead shelf, and, further, it is not practical or convenient to remove such lever means from one box to another; nor is such latter means practical from the standpoint of economy of construction.

Having now described my'invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a display-rack comprising a frame and shelves, and with a box slidably supported on one of said shelves, of flexible limiting means secured at one end to the rear of the body portion of said box and at the other end to said rack in rear of said box, substantially as described.

2 The combination with a display-rack comprising a frame and shelves, and with a box slidably supported on one of said shelves, of

flexible limiting means secured at one end to the rear of the body of said box and at the opposite end removably secured to said rack in rear of said box, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a display-rack comprising a frame and a shelf supported on said frame, and with a box slidably supported on said shelf, of flexible limiting means removably secured at one end to the rear of the body of said box and at the opposite end secured to said frame in rear of said box, substantially as described.

4. In a display-rack the combination of a frame provided with shelves, a box provided with a hinged lid and slidably mounted on one of said shelves, flexible means secured at one end to said lid and at the opposite end to said rack in rear of said box, flexible limiting means secured at one end to the rear portion of the body of said box and at the opposite end to said rack in rear of said box, substantially as described.

5. In means for the purposes described, the combination with a support embodying a shelf, and with a box slidably mounted on said shelf, of flexible limiting means secured at one end to said support in rear of said box and secured at the opposite end to the upper part of said box, and of other flexible limiting means secured at one end to said support in rear of said box'and secured at the opposite end to said box at a lower point than the point where the first said limiting means is secured to said box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. ROOS.

Witnesses:

J AMES T. WATSON, WELLINGTON M. BLEWETT. 

